"He's not announcing his retirement in a font from a ZX Spectrum" - Michael Bisping rubbishes reports of "stylish guy" Kevin Holland walking away from MMA
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has dismissed reports that Kevin Holland has retired following the middleweight fighter's cryptic post on Instagram earlier this week.
'Trailblazer' last appeared in the octagon at UFC 279 earlier this month when he faced Khamzat Chimaev in a catchweight bout. 'Borz' was originally meant to face Nate Diaz but missed weight by 7.5lbs and the UFC were forced into a reshuffle.
Many fans and Holland himself knew the major mismatch Chimaev represented and accepting the chance to fight him on a 24-hour notice earned the American a lot of respect.
Unsurprisingly for most, the Chechen-born fighter tackled Holland to the floor from the beginning, eventually submitting 29-year-old inside the first round, extending his undefeated record to 12-0.
Holland's loss to Chimaev prompted this message on his social media:
"Had a good run 30 in a little over month got paid I'm out. Next career choice??"
On the latest episode of the Believe You Me podcast, Bisping stated that he doesn't believe for one second that Kevin Holland is walking away from MMA:
"That's bullsh*t, it's bullsh*t. Kevin Holland is a great fighter, he's very well known. He was the 2020 Fighter of the Year, he's a fan favorite, he's making money, he loves shiny things, I'm talking gold and jewelry He's in the prime of his life. If he was quitting and walking away, he would atleast jazz it up a little touch as apose to using a font last seen on an Atari f*****g game system!... He's a very stylish guy, he's not announcing his retriement in a font from a ZX Spectrum."
Catch the full episode here:
Chael Sonnen also convinced Kevin Holland isn't retiring
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has blamed "post-fight depression" as the reason behind Kevin Holland's retirement post.
According to 'The American Gangster', both the winner and loser often suffer a depressive episode after a fight. Sonnen stated that it can be due to a number of things such as adrenaline no longer being in the body, a lack of media or attention or simply returning to normal home life for a period of time.
Sonnen believes both winners and losers of MMA bouts can be affected, but reiterated that it is more often the losers of fights who struggle with post-fight depression. The 45-year-old believes Kevin Holland is going through a tough moment but ultimately doesn't think he's going to retire.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Sonnen explained:
"Post-fight depression is very real, including when you win... But as much as and true it is for the winner, exemplify that for the loser. Because there's other things that come with it... Kevin's not retiring."
Watch the full video here: